THE LION. 
123 
“ Being anxious to proclaim his triumph, the Bushman merely cut off the tuft of hair 
from the tail of the Lion and returned with this trophy to the Dutchman, who was not, how- 
ever, quite satisfied with the business, for he would have preferred to shoot the Lion himself ; 
moreover, he grudged the loss of the old ox, which he thought might have been spared to die 
the usual death of a draught ox, i.e. to work until it drops from fatigue, and to die where it 
falls. The Bushman, however, explained that, if he had wounded the Lion as it was walking 
along, it would have sprung upon him as soon as it felt the sharp arrow in its side ; but, when 
it was busily employed in killing the ox, it would only think that the ox had pricked it with 
its horns, and would neither see nor think of its human enemy. Therefore it was safer and 
more certain to take the ox for a bait, and so, to save many a young and vigorous animal by 
the sacrifice of one old and worn-out beast.” 
“A Boer, a very humorous fellow, told me that he was returning to his wagons one 
evening, when he was far in the interior ; at the time, he had with him only the single charge 
of powder with which his gun was loaded, as he had been out buck-shooting all day. 
“ Straight in his path he disturbed a Lion, which jumped up and turned to look at him. 
Very naturally, his first impulse was to fire, but remembering that he had but that one charge 
in his gun, he changed his tactics. 
“The Dutchmen usually wear large broad-brimmed felt hats, around which several ostrich 
feathers are fastened. The Boer jumped from his horse, and pulled off his hat, which he held 
with his teeth by the brim, so that the upper part only of his face could be seen above the 
conglomeration of feathers. He then dropped upon his hands and knees, and commenced 
crawling towards the Lion. Such a strange animal had never before been seen by the aston- 
ished Leeuw , which turned and fled without a moment’s hesitation. 
“This method of alarming. animals is not always successful; for whilst I was on the 
frontier, a Hottentot, who had been told of a somewhat similar plan to frighten a savage ox, 
met with a severe accident. 
“The man had been instructed that to stoop down and look back at an animal from 
between the knees was a certain means of driving it away. So, being pursued by an infuriated 
ox, he stopped short, and doubled himself up for his peep ; but unfortunately without the 
desired result. For the animal charged home, ripped up the Totty’s leather crackers, wounded 
him, and sent him sprawling into a bush.” 
“Ax old Dutch Boer, who lived under the shadow of the Draakensberg mountains, gave 
me the following account of an interview with a Lion. The man was a well-known sportsman, 
and lived principally by means of the dollars which he realized upon ivory and skins. He was 
accustomed to make a trip each year into the game country, and traded with the Kaffirs or 
other inhabitants, under very favorable auspices. His stock-in-trade consisted of his guns 
and ammunition, several spans of fine oxen, some horses, and about a dozen dogs. 
“A Lion, which appeared to have been roaming about the country, happened to pass near 
this Boer’s location, and scenting the three coursers kept by the Boer, thought that the 
locality might suit him for a short period. A dense kloof, situated about a mile from the 
farm, afforded both shelter and water, and this spot the Lion selected as a favorable position 
for his head-quarters. 
“The Boer had not to wait for more than a day, before the suspicions which had been 
excited in his mind by some broad footmarks which he saw imprinted in the soil, were con- 
firmed into a certainty that a full-grown Lion had passed near his residence. 
“It now became a question of policy, whether the Boer should attack the Lion, or wait 
for the Lion to attack him. He thought it quite possible, that Leeuw , having been warned 
off by the dogs, whose barking had been furious and continued during the night on which the 
Lion was supposed to have passed the farm, might think discretion to be the better part of 
valor, and consequently would move farther on, in search of a less carefully guarded locality 
upon which to quarter himself. He determined, therefore, to wait, but to use every precau- 
tion against a night surprise. 
